(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disposable folding potty designed especially for children aged 1.5 through 6.
The invention is aimed to facilitate passing and short term storage of fecal matter in situations when a toilet is not available, i.e. in some public places, playgrounds or when traveling using a public transportation. There are other known disposable potties used for the same purpose.
(2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
The patent application(s) US2009265844 (and WO2004037062) describe(s) a known folding toilet made of sheet layer material made of side walls connected by side edges and an inner space formed by a toilet seat located on the upper edge of the side walls and folds for folding the toilet. The toilet comprises of two opposite holding side walls having upper edges, to which there are attached two edges of the annular seat surface along the respective folding lines (folds), and supporting the side walls, on whose upper edge the rest of seat surface is distributed.
Unfolding of the toilet presupposes the use of both hands and requires at least a few moves. This method does not provide a mechanism which prevents the fecal matter from falling out.
There also exists a British invention described in the application number PCT/GB2008/002132 (GB2448945B) with a fairly complex folding method. The size of the potty before and after unfolding is large, and after the use the excrements are stored in an ordinary plastic bag before being disposed of. In addition, it is not entirely a disposable, as only the foil bag is disposed of, and not the whole potty.
There are other known solutions on the market which are also called disposable in the form of a potty having a firm main construction and replaceable pads. In these types of solutions, one is required to carry the entire potty with oneself and fit a special pad in a certain way. After use and disposal of the pad, the potty needs to be carried again.
On Feb. 13, 2012, the applicant also submitted an invention entitled “Disposable Folding Potty” with the Polish Patent and Trademark Office, which obtained the serial number P.398,090. This solution referred to a disposable folding potty made of sheet material comprising of walls connected to each other with side edges and forming the inner space of the potty while taking the form of an accordion and having folds in the bottom part. The walls were connected to the seat with connectors, while the surface of the seat was connected to the walls with point connectors mounted between the triangular wings on the end of each vertical wall and the seat, except for one opposite pair of walls. A bag with absorbent material was mounted between the seat and the walls. The potty had openings in the side walls which were used for threading a cord used for sealing the absorbent pad and a fastening.